


Lyme Disease

by Cats_Dont_Float



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Cecil Is Not Described, Cecil Palmer has Lyme Disease, Character Death, M/M, One Shot, Sad, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-28 08:08:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14444994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cats_Dont_Float/pseuds/Cats_Dont_Float
Summary: Cecil has been sick for weeks. Will Night Vale have to learn to live without their beloved radio host?





	Lyme Disease

Cecil had been battling Lyme Disease for weeks. The whole of Night Vale knew that. Cecil had always been one to discuss every aspect of his personal life on the radio. In fact, he talked about himself so much, he'd once been attacked by the station management because of it, leaving him with a permanently scarred arm.

The town had been patient, and caring. They'd understood when Cecil had to skip broadcasts some days, or when his shows weren't as long or as interesting as usual. Cecil had been ill before, and he always got better eventually, no matter how long it took. 

The citizens only became worried when the broadcasts stopped completely. In his last broadcast, Cecil had sounded as if he were dying. His voice was quiet and faded and he sounded like a ghost.

There was no word about his disappearance from the radio. The station didn't replace him, they just started broadcasting dead air 24 hours a day. Cecil's family and friends hid away from the media, refusing to comment on his health.  
******  
It had been almost two weeks without Cecil when Carlos received the fateful phone call.

Sat in his lab, absentmindedly watching his fellow scientists at work, he'd heard the phone begin to ring. Nilanjana, one his best scientists, was quick to answer it.  
"Hi!" she said as she picked up the phone, "okay, sure... Okay I'll just get him," she said, and then handed the phone to Carlos. "it's for you," she whispered to him.  
"Hi, Carlos speaking," he said to the person on the other end.  
"Hi Carlos, it's Abby, Cecil's sister," came a quiet reply. Carlos was shocked at how tired and broken she sounded.  
"Hi Abby, is everything okay?" he asked, instantly feeling his heart start to speed up. He had never heard Abby sound this worried before.  
"No, it's Cecil," she said, "He's asking for you, can you just get to the hospital as quickly as possible please," she had lowered her voice to an urgent whisper.  
"Okay, I'm coming," he said, and he heard her hang up instantly. Carlos threw the phone onto the table, already heading for the door. "I don't know when I'll be back," he called over his shoulder.  
******  
Carlos had no idea what his feelings were for Cecil. After months of listening to the man rave about him on the radio, he found himself laughing fondly whenever Cecil was mentioned. However, he'd never expected anything to come of it. 

Now, however, as he raced through the hospital corridors, trying to follow the badly labelled signs, he could feel his heart pounding in fear. Inside his head, he was praying for Cecil to be OK. 

He dashed into a room, skidding to a halt as he was greeted by three miserable faces. Abby, Steve and Janice were all staring at him, tears sliding down their faces.  
"What's going on?" Carlos asked, fearing that he already knew the answer. Nobody spoke for a second.  
"It's uncle Cecil," Janice said eventually, "he's dying,"

Carlos thought his heart had stopped completely. Looking at Steve and Abby, he expected them to tell Janice not to be dramatic, but Abby only let out a sob and threw her arms around Steve's neck.  
"He keeps asking for you," Abby cried eventually, "please, just be kind," Carlos nodded, and took a deep breath, before wandering around the corner.

The sight he saw then made his breath catch. Cecil was lying in a hospital bed, drips attached to his arms, his face pale and tired.  
"Carlos?" he croaked, his voice cracking.  
"Hey, Cecil," Carlos said slowly, moving to sit gently on the chair by the bed side.  
"You came," Cecil said, a small smile appearing on his face.  
"Yeah, I did," Carlos replied, looking down at his feet sadly.  
"I just, I... I needed to tell you something," Cecil sighed, "I love you, Carlos,.. And, I know that might sound crazy, because we've never really talked outside of work situations, but I really do. I've loved you since the first time I saw you," Carlos sat in silence, completely stunned, trying to say something, but stammering so much that it made no sense." I'm sorry, I know it's weird, but I needed to see you before I.... " he was cut off as Carlos stepped forward suddenly, and pressed his lips against Cecil's.

They broke apart a second late, and Carlos saw Cecil looking up at him, smiling even wider now.  
"I love you too, Cecil," he said, only realising it for the first time as he said it. He pulled Cecil closer to him again, kissing him over and over again.

There was a sudden beeping. Carlos pulled back, and looked at the heart rate monitor in alarm. The line had gone flat.  
" No, " he cried, "Help!" Cecil's family ran around the corner immediately, rushing to his side, grabbing his lifeless hands.  
Doctors pushed their way in, ordering people to stand back. 

The next moments passed in a blur, Carlos watching as the doctors tried to restart Cecil's heart over and over again. There was no response. Eventually, one doctor held up his hand, and the others stepped back, their faces serious.  
"I'm sorry, we'll give you some alone time," she said, and they all faded into the shadows of the room. 

Janice was the first to cry, sobbing and screaming Cecil's name over and over again. Abby sobbed into Steve's chest. Steve looked over at the brother in law he'd never really gotten on with, and tears poured silently down his face. 

Carlos stepped forward, his brain blocking out every thing around him apart from Cecil. Silently, he took Cecil's hand in his, leaning down to kiss his forehead.  
"I'm sorry, Cecil, I should have realised I loved you sooner," he said, and then he started to sob. "What will Night Vale do without you? What will I do without you?"

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry.


End file.
